NameRealm
Koi

Koi: name meaning, origin & popularity

Meaning
“carp”
Origin
Japanese
Say it
KOY · 1 syllable
Used for
Both (43% girls, 57% boys since 1880)

From Japanese koi, the word for carp, especially ornamental carp. As an English-given name it is modern and uncommon, but the lexical meaning is clear.

Japanese namesNames meaning waterNames meaning animalNature namesShort namesInternational names

How popular is Koi?

202431.0 per million US babies
1880192019602000
Drag the line or the slider to read any year. Values are per million US births recorded by Social Security. Records before about 1937 undercount births, so early peaks can look taller than they were.

Babies named Koi in 2024103

2024 rank#3,028 girls

Peak year2023

Total US babies since 18801,358

Koi is rising: use over the last five years is 2.2× what it was a decade earlier.

Names like Koi

Variants, related forms and names with the same roots.

  • Akirabright, clear · Japanese
  • Renlotus; love; connection · Japanese
  • Akarilight or brightness · Japanese
  • Sorasky · Japanese

Koi questions

What does the name Koi mean?

Koi means "carp". It comes from Japanese. From Japanese koi, the word for carp, especially ornamental carp. As an English-given name it is modern and uncommon, but the lexical meaning is clear.

Is Koi a boy or girl name?

Koi is used for both: about 43% of US babies named Koi since 1880 were girls.

How popular is Koi?

103 US babies were named Koi in 2024. Its peak year was 2023.

How do you pronounce Koi?

Koi is usually pronounced KOY.

Birth counts: US Social Security Administration national data, 1880–2024 (names given to 5+ babies of a sex in a year). How we write meanings.